Home › Arizona › Tempe

Tempe, Arizona

"ASU's Town"
A vibrant college city dominated by Arizona State University, one of the nation's largest universities, set between Phoenix and the desert buttes.
Trending in Tempe
Latest updates coming soon
2 hours ago
More local news on the way
5 hours ago
Founded 1871 | Population 192,514 | Peak 192,514 (2024) | County Maricopa County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Tempe, Arizona

1
1885 Arizona Territorial Normal School: The school that would become Arizona State University was founded, eventually growing into one of the largest universities in the country with 70,000+ students.
2
1871 Hayden's Ferry Founded: Charles Trumbull Hayden established a ferry crossing on the Salt River and a flour mill, founding the settlement.
3
1966 ASU Expansion: Arizona State grew rapidly under President Grady Gammage, with Frank Lloyd Wright designing Gammage Auditorium.
4
1996 Super Bowl XXX: Sun Devil Stadium hosted Super Bowl XXX and the Fiesta Bowl, putting Tempe on the national sports map.
5
2004 Tempe Town Lake: The 2-mile urban lake along the Salt River transformed downtown into a recreation and development hub.
🧠
How Well Do You Know Tempe?
5 questions • 2 minutes
Take the Quiz →

Latest News in Tempe

Mar 18, 2026
Shattering the Myth: Cesar Chavez’s Dark Secrets Exposed
The recent surge of abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez has ignited a firestorm of criticism from prominent Latino leaders, who…
Mar 15, 2016
Arizona Lawmakers Make Food Stamp Fraud Felony
PHOENIX — On March 15, 2016, Arizona lawmakers pushed through a bill that turned food stamp fraud into a felony, aiming to crack…
Feb 17, 2016
Arizona Republicans Push Bill Fight Obamas Executive Action Guns
PHOENIX — In the midst of a heated national debate over gun rights, Arizona Republicans in the state legislature pushed forward …
Feb 1, 2016
Barry Coates Face Va Wait Time Scandal Dies 46
PHOENIX — Barry Coates, the Arizona veteran who became a reluctant symbol of the VA’s troubled wait-time scandal, died las…

Complete Historical Timeline

1871 Government
Hayden's Ferry founded
1885 Culture
Arizona Normal School (ASU) founded
1894 Government
Renamed Tempe
1966 Culture
ASU rapid expansion
1996 Sports
Super Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium
1999 Business
Tempe Town Lake created
2010 Transport
Light rail connects to Phoenix
2023 Culture
ASU enrollment exceeds 70,000

Did You Know?

1
ASU is the largest public university in the U.S. by enrollment with over 70,000 students on the Tempe campus alone.
2
Tempe is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece — a 19th-century visitor thought the Salt River Valley resembled it.
3
Gammage Auditorium was one of Frank Lloyd Wright's last commissions — he died before it was completed in 1964.

Famous People from Tempe, Arizona

CH
Carl Hayden
Politician · Born Oct 2, 1877 · Died Jan 25, 1972 (age 94)
MI
Marvin Bagley III
Basketball Player · Born Mar 14, 1999 · Age 26
SD
Sam Dorman
Swimmer, Competitive Diver · Born Aug 30, 1991 · Age 34
RF
Robert Finch
Lawyer, Military Officer · Born Oct 9, 1925 · Died Oct 10, 1995 (age 70)

Other Cities in Arizona

View all Arizona cities →
P
Phoenix
Pop. 1,608,139
T
Tucson
Pop. 542,629
M
Mesa
Pop. 504,258
G
Gilbert
Pop. 298,470
C
Chandler
Pop. 283,132
G
Glendale
Pop. 262,745
See something that needs correcting?
We take accuracy seriously. Help us keep Tempe's history right.